Collection indicator



E. M. sELlGA COLLECTION INDICATOR Filed June 7, 1955 SUNQA HOU DAYS FIM.

SAME A5 WEEK DAI ExcEPTSAt svuonoumws Augf-zs, 1934.

FI G. l.

Patented Aug. 28, 1934 Y UNITED? sri/irs 1,971,508 COLLECTION INDICATOR Edward M. Seliga, St. Louis, Mo.

Application June 7, 1933, Serial No. 674,707

` 2 claims. (o1. elo- 70) Fries This invention relates to indicators, and with For instance, the sender of a letter may-find regard to certain more `specic features, to col- `that 10.45 RM. is the hour of collection,l but if lection indicators for use on mail boxes and the the sender arrives at the particular box at about like. that hour, he is not sure whether the collector *l 5 Among the several` objects of the invention has passed or will pass, because the collector` '60 may be noted the provision oi acollection indimay have collected from the box somewhat early oator for useon mail boxes which provides indior perhaps 'will be somewhat late. This is of cation of the time of a next collection each time Vimportance where the sender does not wish to that `a prior collection is made, so that the proshave a letter lie in the box, say for an overnight `110` peotive sender of a letter `may be advised as to period and, who, ii he were certain that the "65 Vwhether or nottheoollector has passed a given collector had passed would drop the letter at boxand made a collection atornear the time of another point. The device of the present Vinthe ,desired sending; the provision of a device vention indicates to the sender Vwhetlnerthe col- `ofithe class described which also serves as means lector has made a collection corresponding to T whereby an inspector. may `eiiect a check upon a given hour indicated, or whether he has not. '70 the `activities of a mail collector; the provision It also happens that the collector, when rushed `of a device oi a class described having tactual may, either with knowledge or by mistake, pass means for determining the setting;` and the proor` avoid a box without making a collection. In `visionofapparatusoi this class which is simple, order to detect such irregularities, it has been 20 compact` and waterproof and which may be the practice ior an inspector to wait` at a given '75 -readily applied to mail boxes now carrying indibox at a given honr for a suspected collector.

cator` cards. Other objects will be in part ob- This procedure is time consuming anduncertain. vious and in part pointed out hereinafter. By means of the present invention an inspec- The invention accordingly comprises the eletor needs only examine the indicators on a route ments and combinations of elements, features to determine the eiliciency with which the col-180 of construction, and arrangements of parts lector is operating. He may also easily deter- `which will be exempliedin the structures heremine at whatpoint in the route the collector is inaiter described, and the scope of the applicaby merely inspecting the indicators on one or a `tion of which will be indicated f in the following few boxes. claims. i Referring now more particularly tov Fig. 1, 85

In the accompanying drawing, in which is there is shown at numeral 1 a typical mail box illustrated one `of various possible embodiments having a face 3 and a side entry 4 guarded by a of the invention, Y i lock 5. Letters are deposited in the box at a Fig. l is a front elevation of a mail box showslot 7 which does not permit of entry `forpurl ing the application of the device thereto; poses of withdrawal. Letters are removed only l 90 Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation of the `by authorized collectors who have access through carrying frame for the device; the lock 5. On theface 3 of the box is located Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3-3 a plate 9, against which Yis placed aholding of Fig. 1; frame 1l. The frame lland plate 9` are held Fig. @i is an elevation taken from` the right together and to the face 3by means of suitable 95 ofFig. 3; Y machine screws 13. These may be applied from Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on line i5 the `outside of the box, as shown, or from the in- .of Fig. 3; and, side.

Fig.,6 is a plan view of a dial per se. The frame 11 is provided with a rabbet 15 j 445` Similar reference characters indicate corfor receiving a collection indicating card 17, thev 100 responding parts throughout the several views latter having Vtherein an opening 19 and indicia ofthe drawing. 21, the latter being of the form now in use.

It `has been the custom heretofore to `place The face Boi the box is provided with an open- `upon mail boxes a card indicating the hours oi ing 23 foraccornodating a detent mechanism 25 collection. However,` these cards are unsatiswhich is attached to said plate 9by means oi 105 factory in that, althoughthey indicatethe hours screws 27. Four screws 27 are usedy which pass of collection, they do not show for a given time ,-through iourholes in the plate `9. However, a

i `of collection, whether or not the collector has greater number of threaded4 holes 29 are used for passed and emptied the `box `upon which the zreceiving thel four screws 27, said holes 291 3 5 wcardappears. f spaced atcorresponding intervals in setsof four. 110

The purpose of this is to provide additional holes by means of which astenings may be made, should one oi the screws 27 have the shank sheared oir from the head portion in making a connection. Thus, the necessity for removing the sheared shank from its threaded recess is eliminated, it being only necessary to turn the detent assembly a few degrees to make a new fastening.

The screws 2'! enter a stationary body portion 31. On the inside of the body portion 31 is a rotary hub 33 having a ange 34 to which is axed a positioning pin 35 and which is adapted to receive a fastening screw 37. The flange 34 rotates within a counterbore or" the body 31. A circular dial 39 made of light sheet material such as sheet metal plate or vcardboard is provided with an opening 41 having a notchedpcrtion 43 for passing under the head of said screw 37, and also an opening 45 for cooperating with said pin 35 thus providing a predetermined relationship with respect to the hub 33. The opening 41 is large enough to pass over the head of screw 37 thus eliminating the necessity for entirely removing the screw 37 when making dial replacements.

On the inside of the hub 33 is afxed, by means or" a screw 47, a detent cap 49 having an opening for receiving a spring 5l backed by an adjustable set screw 53. The spring presses against a detent ball 55. The ball 55 is pressed against the stationary member 31 and along its path oi travel on said member 31 there are located detent recesses 57. By the resilient coop-- eration of the detent ball 55 with the detent recesses 57 in its path, the operator of the detent wheel 49 may positively determine by tactual means predetermined successive angular positions thereof.

The dial 39 is provided at angles corresponding to the angles between the detent recesses 57 with indicia 59 which, when the dial 39 is assembled behind the card 17, appear successively at said opening 19. The indicia 59 correspond to the hour of collection indicated on the card, as shown in the drawing. They include Sunday and holiday indicia and a time change indicator.

The operation of the device is as follows:

Starting with the 3.15 P. M. index at the opening 19, the collector arrives at the box 1 at, say, about 3.15 P. M. He opens the lock 5 and box and empties the mail therefrom. He then, or before, reaches in to the index wheel 49 and turns it until the ball 55 falls into the next detent, reference being made to clockwise rotation, which may be done without visual attendance, the tactual sensation determining the appearance of the 4.20 P. M. index at the opening 19. The collector then withdraws his hand and locks the box at the lock 5.

It will be seen that in the rst instance, the collector cannot show that he has collected mail from this box at 3.15 P. M. without resetting the device to indicate the next collection at 4.20 P. M. Thus an inspector knows from the 4.20 P. M. indication that the operator has been at the box for the 3.15 P. M. collection. 1f the collector should turn more than two indexes, the inspector could readily detect this from the exterior of the box by noting the discrepancy between the next collection prediction on the card and that on the dial.

In the second place, if a prospective sender of a letter approaches the box at about, say 3.16

P. M., he notes that the next collection is at 4.20 and he is not left with any impression that there may yet be a collection within the 3.15 P. M. period.

It will be noted that the daily P. M. collections are indicated to 10.45 and the next collection is 9.10 A. M. The 9.10 A. M. index on the dial 39 is thereby put subsequently and in order after the last 13. M. index. Thus, for week days, the cycle may continue as above described.

For Sundays and/0r holidays, where different collection times are used, indexes are placed upon the dial 39, as indicated by the 9.15 P. M. index. In the present example, the last collection made at 10.45 P. M. on Saturday night or on a day before a holiday will require two detent operations to bring the dials 39 to the 9.15 l?. Ivi. setting for the next day. When collection is made on the next day, the dial is turned bacl; to the 9.10 A. M. setting for the usual collection to be made the next day.

1f the central cnice which determines the hours of collection to be placed upon the card 17 eiects a time change without immediately making a-corresponding change upon the card, the collector sets the dial 39 so that the index time change appears in the opening 19, thereby indicating tc prospective senders of mail that collections are not being made in accordance with the card indication. This constitutes another one or" the advantages of this device.

1t will be understood that where desired a transparent sheet of isinglass or the like is inserted over the card 17. The detent mechanism is strong enough to prevent unauthorized operation through opening 19 but said sheet provides added protection.

The device is quite waterproof in view of the fact that the card 17 and dial function as covers. Furthermore, the tortuous bearing between members 33, 3l and 49 deects water.

Mail cannot be abstracted through the opening in bearing 31 even though a person should succeed in removing the shank 33 because of the small size of the opening.

It is to be understood that the plate 9 may be an integral part of the face 3 of the box.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could be made in carrying out the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In combination, a mail box having an opening for removing mail, a lock for said opening openable only by authorized persons, an indicating card on the face of said box and presented to view having indicia thereon predicting collection times, means associated with said card and operable only manually from the interior of said box and adapted to be set to indicate the next time at which a collection shall be made, and means for positively tactually determining the actual amount or" indicator setting without specifically examining the same.

2. In combination, a mail box having an opening, a lock for said opening which is openable only by authorized persons, means for supporting a collection card on the face of said box, said collection card having an opening therethrough and indicia thereon which predict times of collection, a dial behind said card and having indicia thereon indicating times of co1- lection, and detent means operable only manually from the interior of the box and adapted to rotate said dial so as to place the indicia 

